There may be a moment where you have an accident at home: it is far too common. A slip in the bathtub or a fall down the stairs. Or maybe the steps to the porch are too steep or the hallway is too dark at night for safe trips to the bathroom? You might have a family member who has mobility challenges or guests who struggle with your home’s layout while visiting you—this is where a CAPS builder can help. Not only can a CAPS builder make your home easier to visit, they can allow you to stay in the home you fell in love with in the first place.
What is a CAPS Builder?
A CAPS builder is a certified aging in place builder. They have learned techniques to remodel a home for those concerned with mobility, safety, and security. CAPS builders receive certification from the National Association of Home Builders. There is a set educational curriculum and continuing education to maintain certification.
How Can They Help?
The CAPS builder knows how to best remodel a home for the accessibility and safety of homeowners and guests. Their work is customizable to your needs, whether you are planning to remain in your home for the future (referred to as “aging in place”), or accommodating mobility issues, they can remodel any room in the home and remodel outdoor porches, steps, and walkways. CAPS builders are specialized builders who strive to make your home safer, and more accessible, for both you and your family.
Focus on The Bathroom
One of the most popular options is remodeling the bathroom. With concerns about falls and injuries occurring in the bathroom, a CAPS builder has many solutions in their repertoire, like designing a curbless shower or installing a walk-in bathtub. Grab bars are often used for aging in place designs, even if they aren’t currently needed. Grab bars in the shower and around the tub have to be installed in blocking behind the wall, thus it is less expensive to install them as part of remodeling than if you have to go back later and install them.
Create A New Walkway
Do you need wider steps to the front door or a slanted walkway? A CAPS builder can offer many design options. Customize walkways for wheelchair accessibility or upgrade railings for security. Within your home, widening doorways is a standard consideration, and so is utilizing pocket doors.
Lighting Adjustments
Lighting adjustments can be helpful for safety and security. Motion detecting light system outdoors can deter break-ins and give you peace of mind. It can also make coming into the home at night easier for you and your guests. If nighttime trips through the house have become cumbersome, there are lighting options that can help. A strip of lights along the floor, or toe kick lighting in your kitchen, can add enough light to see without disturbing your circadian rhythm in the middle of the night.
A CAPS builder, like T.W. Ellis, is the answer for when you need remodeling to help create a safe and secure home. It is well worth your time to talk with us instead of trying to find a new home that has these features.